{"id":6428,"date":"2017-10-23T13:07:42","date_gmt":"2017-10-23T03:07:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.richardmcgibbon.com\/news\/?p=6428"},"modified":"2017-10-23T13:19:40","modified_gmt":"2017-10-23T03:19:40","slug":"hunter-valley-balloon-festival","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.richardmcgibbon.com\/news\/hunter-valley-balloon-festival\/","title":{"rendered":"Hunter Valley Balloon Festival"},"content":{"rendered":"

  A couple of weeks I was up at Dungog shooting the final round of the Fox Superflow series. Nearby in the Hunter Valley was the annual Balloon Aloft<\/a> Balloon Festival. I had been eyeing this up for a couple of years but had missed it previously due to other commitments. This year, being only an hour away I was determined to get there.<\/p>\n

  The ballooners meet in one of the vineyards early in the morning to determine the location of the takeoff. This is decided on the morning to ensure the weather is optimal and they know exactly which way the wind is blowing. They then head out to the chosen field where around 30 balloons start inflating. The organisers are fantastic about letting people wander around and enjoy the sights.<\/p>\n

  It’s a fantastic sight that could only be topped by a flight in one of the balloons . Perhaps next year I might have to make that happen. If you are in the area next year I highly recommend you swing by and take a look. It’s guaranteed to put an early morning smile on your face<\/p>\n\n\t\t